Announcements

The USDA Forest Service, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-La Sal, and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests are seeking a small group of career - focused women to be on-call wildland fire fighters for the 2015 fire season. These on-call or “AD” positions will provide support to wildland fire operations over the summer when needed and can help pave the way for future employment and career advancement inside the Forest Service. If you are selected for this opportunity, your first assignment will be attendance and successful completion of Basic Fire School. The fire school will provide enough starting knowledge for your new career! Upon success, each person will receive a wildland fire fighter certification (Red Card) and be issued protective gear.

Seeking full-time field assistant for a project on the drought response of forests managed with fire in extreme southern Illinois. The field assist ant will work closely with a graduate student to maintain a drought experiment, monitor tree physiological responses, conduct vegetation surveys and collect soil hyphae. The work will be carried out in mature oak-hickory forests of Shawnee National Forest. Salary is commensurate with experience. Housing and field vehicle provided, though travel to and from Illinois is not provided. The work schedule will average 40 hours per week, though it will ultimately depend on weather. Preferred start date is May 4th, 2015 with a 3 month contract.

Qualifications: B.A. / B.S. degree in biology, natural resources, or related field is highly preferred. Applicant must have at least one season of fieldwork. Experience measuring leaf gas exchange and/or performing intensive vegetation surveys is a plus, but those keen on gaining these skills are also highly recommended to apply. The field assistant must be comfortable hiking several miles a day and working long hours outside, often in hot, humid conditions. The assistant is expected to be a highly motivated, independent, and responsible team member. Applicant must have a valid driver’s license and be considered insurable by the University of Illinois. Although a field vehicle will be used for all work-related activities, it is preferred that the assistant has a vehicle for personal use.

To Apply: Please assemble the following into a single PDF and email to Tyler Refsland (refslan2 [at] illinois.edu):

Registration: Space is limited. Please submit application and refer any questions to Colby Crawford at colby_crawford@fws.gov by March 2, 2015. Selections will be made and shared by March 9, 2015.

Who should apply: Wildland and municipal firefighters, private land owners, researchers, university students, state and municipal managers, regulators and others.

Description: The host partners will conduct a series of controlled burns in the mixed grass prairies of eastern South Dakota, and crews will be stationed around the communities of Aberdeen, Huron, Madison and Waubay. These burns are intended to improve wildlife habitat and range conditions, reduce the possibility of damaging wildfires and provide training and learning opportunities for the participants. All burning is conducted following the interagency standards set by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s PMS 310-1, and the training is organized as an incident using the Incident Command System. Basic wildland firefighter training is available for participants who need it.

University of Alberta Adjunct Professor of Wildland Fire Science and Management has Two Books Being Released in early 2015

Dr. Marty Alexander, an adjunct professor in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta since 1997, has two wildland fire related books appearing in the first quarter of 2015. A year ago, his first co-authored book – Fire on Earth: An Introduction– was released by Wiley-Blackwell.

The first book to appear in 2015, A Guide to Rate of Fire Spread Models for Australian Vegetation, was jointly published by the CSIRO Land and Water Flagship of Australia and the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC). Dr. Alexander is one of six authors, the other five all hailing from Australia. The objective of this book was to provide a technical description of the models presently used operationally in Australia to predict bushfire rate of spread. According to AFAC CEO Stuart Ellis, “Different fire spread models work in different burning conditions. The challenge is knowing which to apply in formulating accurate and timely predictions. This publication will assist fire managers and incident managers in making decisions for the best outcomes in different bushfire conditions. These are decisions that can save lives.”

The second book that will appear in early 2015, Current International Perspectives of Wildland Fire, Mankind and the Environment, constitutes a co-edited affair with Dr. Brigitte Leblon, a professor with the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management at the University of New Brunswick. The book, published by Nova Science Publishers consists of a collection of nine chapters covering topics that support the management of wildfires and prescribed fires written by authors based in the northern and southern hemispheres.

The Burn Crew Technician (BCT) will serve on a crew of 6 to 8 people. The crew travels throughout the Agassiz Beach Ridges (western-central MN) landscape: This crew is responsible for preparation and implementation of prescribed fire at various nature preserves in the landscape. Under the direction of a Prescribed Burn Boss, the BCT will assist with controlled burns. In addition, the BCT will assist with preserve management tasks such as boundary posting, firebreak preparation, fencing, tree clearing, brush cutting, and equipment maintenance when conditions are not conducive to burning.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information regarding and to apply to position number 42683, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 3, 2015.

The Burn Crew Member participates in wild land fire operations which include ignition, control, mop-up, suppression, monitoring, and other tasks as assigned. This is a short-term position from April 14 through August 28, 2015 (1 position will end June 5th. 2 positions will end August 28th.)

HOW TO APPLY

For more information regarding and to apply to position number 42698, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 4, 2015.

The Stewardship/Burn Crew Technician participates in wild land fire operations which include ignition, control, mop-up, suppression, monitoring, and other tasks as assigned. This is a short-term position from April 6 through June 11, 2015 (6 positions available).

HOW TO APPLY

For more information regarding and to apply to position number 42716, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 4, 2015.

The Seasonal Conservation Ranch Hand works at Smoky Valley Ranch, 17,000 acres of shortgrass prairie in Logan County, Kansas. S/he will perform and participate in preserve operations and maintenance. This is a full-time entry-level seasonal position running for about 6 months beginning in late May. No housing is provided. The Seasonal Conservation Ranch Hand must have a willingness to learn about conservation issues and priorities.

Under the direction of the Smoky Valley Ranch Project Manager and the Smoky Valley Ranch Rangeland Specialist, the Ranch Hand carries out ranch operations and maintenance tasks:

Works with livestock, both cattle and bison.

Organizes and manages ranch inventory.

Maintains preserve infrastructure, including roads, water systems, fences, and other facilities.

Keeps vehicles clean and in good working order.

Carries out prairie dog monitoring and control activities as directed by the Ranch Project Manager or Ranch Rangeland Specialist.

Will require training to assist with prescribed burns, under the direction of the designated burn boss.

Performs various ranch work as directed by the Ranch Project Manager or Ranch Rangeland Specialist.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information regarding and to apply to position number 42926, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 20, 2015.

The Washington Prescribed Fire Council wanted to notify you of an opportunity to attend the Big Horn Show in Spokane for free and help out the WPFC by spreading the message of the important role of prescribed fire in keeping habitats healthy and people safe! It’s a win- win opportunity. You will also receive a free Washington Prescribed Fire Council hat for helping out!

The Big Horn Show is one of the oldest and longest continually operated sports and recreation shows in the US. with over 300 exhibitors and each year they host 28,000 area enthusiasts.

This is a great opportunity to reach a large audience around the NW. Volunteers are asked to sign up for one or more four hour shifts for the WPFC booth at the Big Horn show in Spokane on one or more days March 19-22nd. To sign up for a volunteer shift please visit the google document here.

Specific duties will, in varying proportion, include: preserve inspections and follow-up actions, monitoring and maintaining hiking trails (i.e. brushing & drainage structure maintenance), property boundary line maintenance, invasive species monitoring and manual control activities, installation & maintenance of preserve signage, stocking and maintaining kiosks, monitoring conservation easements, supporting prescribed fire at the Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve and other locations as assigned, assist in leading volunteers, ecological monitoring, equipment maintenance and organization and engaging with the public on our preserves and at our office in a professional, welcoming, and informative manner.

The Seasonal Land Steward will be responsible for documenting work accomplished and tracking other information using the Conservancy’s database entry system.

The Seasonal Land Steward will be supervised by the Northern New Hampshire Land Steward. The Seasonal Land Steward will also work collaboratively with the Director of Stewardship and Ecological Management as well as other Conservancy stewardship staff and conservation partners.

For additional information and to apply to position number 42889, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 6, 2015.

The position will be based out of the USFWS Waubay Wetland Management District and will be responsible for identifying and establishing contact with private landowners of native prairie for enrollment in perpetual easement programs. The Easement Technician will conduct on-the-ground site evaluations of potential projects to determine program eligibility. The Technician may also assist with occasional USFWS and TNC management activities including prescribed fire, wildlife and vegetative surveys, and prairie restoration. Overall supervision will be provided by TNC with day-to-day direction provided by USFWS personnel.

This is a full-time position with 2 years of funding.

For additional information and to apply to position number 42567, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 10, 2015.

In an effort to continue to promote the scholarly pursuits and graduate level training within the global wildland fire community, in 2015 the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) will again be awarding two graduate-level scholarships, each valued at $3,000USD to IAWF members who are Master of Science (MSc) or Doctoral (PhD) students studying wildland fire or wildland fire related topics.

We encourage applications from students studying any aspect of wildland fire be it from the perspective of physical, ecological or social science to less traditional subject areas as well: we are looking through this scholarship to recognize and support any type of research relevant to the global wildland fire community.

The application period will be open between 18 February 2015 and 27 March 2015. Award winners will be announced by the end of May 2015.

Scholarships will be awarded to the top MSc and top PhD applicants based the student's submitted essay.

We are looking for a highly motivated scientist to join a multi-disciplinary team from the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado School of Public Health to investigate relationships between indoor air quality, forest fires, energy efficiency measures, and health in low-income housing in Colorado.

The ideal candidate will have prior experience evaluating air quality and/or respiratory health effects, will have excellent problem solving skills, and a strong quantitative background. This post-doctoral research associate will play a key role in carrying out the study and analyzing study outcomes, with opportunities to publish research findings and manage a multidisciplinary field team.

The successful candidate is expected to have a PhD in Environmental Health, Environmental Engineering, Epidemiology, or related degree. Strong field research skills, organization skills, project management skills, and data collection and management experience are required. Familiarity with human subjects research protocols and compliance” is a desired skill. Prior experience in low SES communities is a plus.

Additional skills include GIS, statistical data analysis, survey design and data collection. We are looking for someone to start as soon as possible. This is a 2-y federally funded project.

Working cooperatively with the BLM Winnemucca Di strict Office, GBI is recruiting two to three (2-3) Field Technicians to work cooperatively with BLM staff on post-wildfire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ES&R), fuels, and weeds projects. The Technicians will work on a number of projects, including a variety of monitoring protocols designed to determine effectiveness of post - fire stabilization and rehabilitation efforts including line - point intercept, canopy gap, and basal gap intercept as detailed in the Monitoring Manual for Grasslands, Shrubland, and Savanna Ecosystems, Volume 1: USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range. The primary duties of this position will be to collect field data and assist in written monitoring summary reports for the ES&R program. There may also be opportunities to aid in the preparation of ES (Emergency Stabilization) and BAR (Burned Area Rehabilitation) plans, including site evaluation, inventory, and GPS/GIS work. Collectively, the team is responsible for data collection, entry and analysis; report writing; project planning and mapping; and other tasks assigned by ESR personnel.

Location:

The BLM Winnemucca District Office (WDO) lies roughly in the northwest part of Nevada, nested in the basin and range province of the western U.S. The WDO is approximately 2.5 hours east of Reno, NV and 2 hours west of Elko, NV on I-80, and 5.5 hours south of Boise, ID on State Highway 95. Elevations range from approximately 4,000 feet to close to 10,000 feet. The District encompasses roughly 11 million acres, of which 7.38 million acres are public lands managed by the BLM.

Compensation & Timeline:

Rate of Pay: $15.25/hour

Medical and Dental Benefit s

Field Per Diem when camping

26-week appointment beginning March 16, 2015, or upon a vailability

Full time, 40 hours per week

How to Apply:

Qualified and interested applicants should forward a cover letter (include where you found this position posted), their résumé, and a list of three professional references to Amy Gladding, GBI HR Coordinator, at agladding@thegreatbasininstitute.org. Incomplete applications will not be considered. No phone inquiries please.

The Sycan Marsh Preserve Manager oversees the development, implementation, and coordination of restoration activities and management of 30,000 acre Sycan Marsh Preserve in south central Oregon. At Sycan Marsh, s/he will coordinate, grazing, forestry, weed control and fire operations and associated land management activities. Within the Preserve, s/he will provide trainings and represent TNC with partners and the public. In addition and in close consultation with the Sycan Marsh Program Director, the position will have primary responsibility for coordinating activities that promote the effectiveness, efficiency, compliance of the Sycan Marsh Wetlands Reserve program.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Oversees management, stewardship and restoration of Sycan Marsh Preserve; works with Sycan Program Director to implement and update conservation action plan.

Synthesizes research to inform conservation priorities, restoration treatments, and environmental risk and benefits

Fosters cross-site learning among private and public land managers and rural communities

This is a continuously open vacancy announcement for one or more locations throughout the Forest Service. The number and location of positions to be filled will be dependent upon individual unit needs. These are permanent positions with varying tours of duty and may include weekend work.

DUTIES:

Provides administrative supervision to a group of highly skilled subordinate fire program managers and specialists. Provides leadership in the fire safety program in a doctrinal principles based approach. Serves as a member of the Forest Leadership Team, which is responsible for the coordination and development of overall long-range forest planning. Provides technical advice, development of forest land management goals and objectives, including formulation of local policies and objectives. Directs all aspects of the unit’s fire and aviation program. Strategizes and initiates effort to assure program continuity through recruitment, employee development and retention. Performs program oversight by working with the districts, region and other forest program personnel. works with other staff areas to develop integrated work plans, and monitor and review subunit programs.

Coordinates the involvement of fire management input into the development of land management plans and analyses. Review and evaluate fire management plans for technical soundness and adequacy in accordance with regional and national policies.

Directs and supervises all phases of budget management to assure balance in the organization at varying levels of funding, and initiates changes as appropriate. May serve as the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) on fire and aviation contracts for the forest. Coordinates, prioritizes and allocates funding for fire facilities, equipment needs and fleet.

Coordinates and negotiates the development of local annual operating plans to implement cooperative fire protection agreements with other federal, tribal, state and local agencies.

Provides advice and counsel to the line officers on the development of strategies and appropriate course of actions for all incidents consistent with direction in the Forest Plan and agency policies.

Performs wildfire suppression support as directed within training and physical capabilities and other duties as assigned. Duties listed are at the full performance level.

The Northern Rockies Region is looking for a committed, hard working, highly skilled workforce to suppress wildfires and work in fuels management on 11 National Forests located in Idaho, North Dakota and Montana. The fire and aviation management program is very rewarding and requires talented people working safely as part of a team in a variety of specialized positions; including dispatch, engine crews, fuels technicians, hand crews, helitack, interagency hotshot crews, and prevention. The Fire Hire program is being implemented to streamline the hiring process for permanent fire positions and provide consistent hiring around the Region. This hiring process assists the National Forests in the Northern Rockies Region to fill vacancies in a more efficient and timely manner.

Applying for a project funding award is easy and only takes a few minutes to complete. To be eligible applicants need to provide a short overview outlining the project’s details and describing the resulting benefits, along with a description of how, where and who will be implementing the activity on May 2. Applications can be submitted through Thursday, March 5, at 11:59pm ET.

After submitting an application participants are encouraged to solicit support for their project from friends, family and neighbors by asking them to vote for their favorite project idea using the “Vote Now” feature on WildfirePrepDay.org and the Firewise Facebook page. An NFPA panel will review applications and select sixty-five project award recipients. A project’s total # of votes will be considered in NFPA’s final determination of the applications selected to receive a funding award. For official rules visit WildfirePrepDay.org. Recipients will be announced Monday, March 10, 2015.

The number of awards being distributed this year is a 325% increase over those provided in 2014 when twenty projects nationwide were recipients.

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day provides an opportunity for people of all ages to participate in a risk reduction or preparedness activity that makes their community a safer place to live. In 2014, individual projects completed on the day covered a wide-range of activities involving from a few people, to large groups and entire homeowner associations. The myriad of grassroots efforts last year included an array of actions that increased risk awareness levels and brought neighbors and stakeholders together to improve an area's preparedness and resiliency; while also making it safer for firefighters to defend homes in a future wildfire.

The Zumwalt Field Assistant position performs a range of land management activities, primarily involving invasive species control, infrastructure and equipment maintenance, management of public access to the preserves and assistance with other conservation land management projects. This work will include the following functions:

Managing invasive plant species including chemical and mechanical treatments, as well as the use of spatial data and treatment records to track the status of weed control efforts.

Assisting with the management of public access on Conservancy lands, primarily involving administration of public hunting access and patrol for un-authorized uses.

Supervising and directing the efforts of volunteers involved in preserve management projects.

Assisting Zumwalt Project colleagues with implementation and monitoring of a variety of conservation land management efforts which may include: grazing management, timber management, fire management, and native plant establishment.

Complete data entry and administrative office tasks as required.

The Zumwalt Field Assistant may participate in prescribed burns and wildland fire operations, depending on their qualifications. All Conservancy employees participating in wildland fire operations and prescribed burns must meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group qualifications per Nature Conservancy policies.

TO APPLY

For additional information and to apply to position number 42821, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on February 27, 2015.

The Burn Crew Manager participates in preparing fire lines; delineates burn units, maintains equipment, pre/post-burn monitoring, and potentially oversees a squad (4-8 Burn Crew Members) during wildland fire operations, and other tasks. May perform other preserve management or other conservation-related duties when conditions are not conducive to prescribed fire.

As part of the incumbent’s ongoing professional development, he/she will be responsible for keeping abreast of new burn techniques and equipment to enhance skills and maintain/grow professional fire certification credentials. In addition, they shall work to build and maintain relationships in the professional fire community and in the local community where the Conservancy works. This may include participation in wild land fire suppression activities in partnership with other non-profits, local fire departments, and local, state and federal agencies, either as a TNC employee, or as a volunteer or short term employee of the partner entity (such as an Administratively Determined, short term federal employee).

TO APPLY

For more information and to apply to position number 42823, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 1, 2015.

The Department of Defense's (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) is seeking to fund environmental research and development proposals. SERDP is DoD’s environmental science and technology program, planned and executed in partnership with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, with participation by numerous other Federal and non-Federal organizations. The Program invests across the broad spectrum of basic and applied research, as well as advanced development.

Proposals responding to focused Statements of Need (SON) in the following areas are requested:

Environmental Restoration — Research and technologies for the characterization, risk assessment, remediation, and management of contaminants in soil, sediments, and water.

Munitions Response-Technologies for the detection, classification, and remediation of military munitions on U.S. lands and waters.

Resource Conservation and Climate Change-Research that advances DoD’s management of its natural and cultural resources and improves understanding of climate change impacts.

Weapons Systems an d Platforms — Research and technologies to reduce, control, and understand the sources of waste and emissions in the manufacturing, maintenance, and use of weapons systems and platforms.

Proposals responding to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 SONs will be selected through a competitive process. Separate solicitations are available to Federal and non-Federal proposers. The SONs and detailed instructions are available on the SERDP website at www.serdp-estcp.org/Funding-Opportunities/SERDP-Solicitations.

The SERDP Core Solicitation provides funding in varying amounts for multi-year projects. All Core Solicitation pre-proposals are due to SERDP Thursday, January 8, 2015.

SERDP also will be funding environmental research and development through the SERDP Exploratory Development (SEED) Solicitation. The SEED Solicitation is designed to provide a limited amount of funding (not to exceed $150,000) for projects up to approximately one year in duration to investigate innovative approaches that entail high technical risk or require supporting data to provide proof of concept. This year, SERDP is requesting SEED proposals for the Munitions Response and Weapons Systems and Platforms program areas. All SEED proposals are due Tuesday, March 10, 2015.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow at the interface of landscape ecology, ecosystem services, and land-change science. The post-doc will research topics relevant to a project aimed at evaluating the landscape-scale effects of energy development and wildfire on wildlife and ecosystem services.

Funding is for 2 years, subject to renewal for 2 additional years, pending the availability of funds. Remuneration is ~US $74,000/yr, plus benefits. The post-doc will work at the USGS Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center in Lakewood, CO with the following project co-leads: Jay Diffendorfer, Research Ecologist and Darius Semmens, Research Physical Scientist and collaborators: Ken Bagstad, Research Economist; Steve Garman, Research Ecologist; and Todd Hawbaker, Research Ecologist.

We are particularly interested in candidates who ca n apply landscape ecology concepts and methods to assess the responses of species, ecological communities, and ecosystem services to habitat loss and fragmentation, and who can portray assessment results to a broad audience, including land managers and non-scientists. Candidates will support the project by developing statistical approaches, geospatial analyses, and/or simulation models to link land transformation caused by energy development and wildfire to changes in ecosystem services, individual species, and ecological communities. Changes in the provision of ecosystem services will be modeled using the ARIES platform. The research will also require developing methods to understand and summarize patterns that emerge in complex spatial and temporal datasets, including the measurement and visualization of uncertainty across space and time.

Candidates should have a strong interest in, and evidence of, publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting research results at national and international meetings. Initially, this project will investigate the role of energy development and wildfire on ecosystem services in southwest Wyoming, where existing research and geospatial data are extensive (http://www.wlci.gov/). The candidate will have latitude to pursue novel approaches and work with a broad set of researchers across fields of geology, economics, ecology, and biophysical modeling.

Applicants will ideally have experience in any of the following: landscape ecology, geography, land-change science, ecosystem services, or conservation biology. Furthermore, skills in geospatial analyses using GIS, strong statistical skills, and a proven record of publications are necessary. Coding expertise is not required, but exposure to and the use of R, Python, Java and/or C++, is desirable. The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found.

To apply, please prepare a cover letter, curriculum vitae, transcripts, and contact information for three references. Please send your application via email, subject line “Landscape Ecology Post-doc” to dsemmens@usgs.gov. Applicants must have received their doctoral or equivalent graduate degree within the past five years. The degree must be in hand by the selectees starting date. Any questions should be directed to: Darius Semmens, dsemmens@usgs.gov, 303-578-6966, or Jay Diffendorfer, jediffendorfer@usgs.gov, 303-236- 5369

Graduate opportunities – Interactions between fire and permafrost on peatland hydrology and biogeochemistry.

The Taiga Plains Research Network is looking for a number of motivated graduate students (MSc or PhD) to work on complementary projects on the interaction between wildfire and permafrost on peatland hydrology, soil thermal regimes and biogeochemistry. Permafrost thaw is currently affecting large areas of peatlands in boreal western Canada, a region which also experienced an exceptional fire season in 2014 – which is in agreement with projections of future fire regimes. In order to improve our understanding of the influence of peatlands on water resources, water quality and climate change feedback mechanisms through greenhouse gases, it is thus important to consider interactions between fire and permafrost thaw. The following positions are currently available at University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, supervised by Dr. David Olefeldt at the department of Renewable Resources:

1. Effects of fire on permafrost stability in peatlands – a chronosequence approach

Project description: Both hydrology and carbon cycling in boreal peatlands is strongly affected by permafrost conditions. It is known from peat archives that peatland fires, common in western Canada, has the potential to trigger permafrost thaw – but it is not known which mechanisms that are responsible, what time frames that are involved or what the resulting rates of thaw are (both vertical and lateral). These questions may be addressed though a chronosequence approach, where permafrost condition s and soil thermal regimes in several nearby peatland sites are studied – but where sites differ in their time since fire (1 - >50 years). There is potential to combine field work with GIS approaches. Field work will be carried out in the vicinity of Fort Simpson, in the Northwest Territories.

Qualifications: BSc or MSc in physical geography or related field. Willingness to work in remote locations. Driver’s license. GIS experience an advantage.

2. Carbon cycling in permafrost peatlands after fire

Project description: I am seeking a motivated student with interests in soil science and greenhouse gas exchange between land and atmosphere. Work will focus on soil respiration, with work done both in field and lab experiments, and potentially linked to isotope work. The central question is whether wildfire triggers the mineralization and release of carbon previously stored inert in frozen peat layers. Field work would be located in recently burned peatlands in southern Northwest Territories.

Qualifications: BSc or MSc in biology, physical geography or related field. Willingness to work in remote locations.

3. Export and fate of terrestrial DOC in peatland catchments

Project description: Export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from peatlands is an important component of terrestrial ecosystem carbon balances. Exported DOC is also a main source of energy in downstream aquatic ecosystems, where it may be mineralized and released to the atmosphere as greenhouse gases. Both fire and permafrost thaw may affect both the quantity and quality of DOC exported from peatlands (including export of black carbon associated with soil combustion during fire), with cascading effects on downstream aquatic carbon cycling. Research will be conducted in the southern Northwest Territories, in streams and lakes of a peatland region with discontinuous permafrost and several recent fires.

Qualifications: BSc or MSc in biology, chemistry, physical geography or related field. Willingness to work in remote locations. Driver’s license.

How to apply: Please send a letter of interest to olefeldt@ualberta.ca. Include resume describing your skills end education, transcripts and names of three referees.

Funding is available through a combination of stipends and TAships, and there is funding for research and conference travel. Starting dates are flexible, either January, May or September 2015.

Recruitment for two graduate students (one M.S. and one Ph.D.) to work in the Department of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech beginning either spring 2015 or summer 2015. The students will have some flexibility in specific topics, but the general research areas will fall in to one of these three general areas of fire and forest ecology:

1) Mechanisms of altered flammability in eastern US woodlands and forests- this lab has been focused on laboratory-scale flammability of a diversity of species from North America. The current work focuses on understanding differential moisture and litterfall relationships and evaluating the lab-based findings in the wild. Interests are focused on oak-hickory ecosystems in north Mississippi and SW Virginia and longleaf pine-oak ecosystems across the southeastern US.

2) Patterns of oak recovery across wildfire severity gradients- this project is working on understanding the pathways of California black oak following wildfires in 2002 and a re-burn in 2012 in the southern Cascades of northern California. Current work is evaluating survival of remnant oaks and tracking the effects of multiple fires on oak community composition and structure.

3) On-going work on the fire ecology of American chestnut, ecology of upland oaks in fire-prone ecosystems, post-fire tree mortality, fire-disease-insect interactions, the ecological consequences of fuels treatments (mostly mastication and prescribed fire) and others that could be pursued.

Strong applicants will be creative, have a competitive GPA, GRE scores, and have substantial research experience, in the field and/or laboratory. Applicants for the Ph.D. position will have a strong research background with publications and substantial statistical and/or modeling experience. Education and training in fire ecology, a lack of fear of statistics, and great passion for your work will all help. In your email to me (mvarner@vt.edu), please include your research interests, a resume/CV with relevant scores, a writing example, and contact information for two references who can speak to your potential as a productive scholar.

Both positions have competitive stipends, tuition waivers, computing, and travel funding. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, an awesome college town in the Appalachian Mountains with a pleasant climate and vibrant community. The Department of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation is consistently ranked among the world’s most outstanding forestry programs. Related departments across Virginia Tech have related expertise in ecology, meteorology, materials flammability, and modeling.